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Jefferson C. Davis
|died= |placeofbirth= Clark County, Indiana |placeofdeath= Chicago, Illinois |placeofburial=Crown Hill Cemetery |placeofburial_label= Place of burial |image= |caption= Major General Jefferson C. Davis |nickname= "Jef" |allegiance= United States of America Union |branch= United States Army Union Army |serviceyears= 1848-1879 |rank= Brevet Major General |commands=XIV Corps Department of Alaska Department of the Columbia 23rd U.S. Infantry |battles= Mexican-American War American Civil War *Fort Sumter *Wilson's Creek *Pea Ridge *Stones River *Chickamauga *Atlanta Campaign *March to the Sea *Bentonville Modoc War }} Jefferson Columbus Davis (March 2, 1828 – November 30, 1879) was an officer in the United States Army who served in the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the Modoc War. He was the first commander of the Department of Alaska, from 1868 to 1870. Although successful in a number of Civil War battles, he is best remembered for two attributes: the similarity of his name to that of Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his murder of a superior officer during an argument in the Civil War. Early commands ]] Born near present-day Memphis, Indiana, Davis served as an enlisted volunteer during the Mexican-American War. Upon completion of his volunteer service, he was accepted for an Army commission and served in the 1st U.S. Artillery. At the start of the American Civil War, Davis had attained the rank of first lieutenant and was serving in the Fort Sumter garrison when it was bombarded by Confederate forces in 1861. In August, Davis became Colonel of the 22nd Indiana Infantry, which he led in the Battle of Wilson's Creek. In December 1861, he became brigadier general of volunteers, commanding the 3rd Division, Army of the Southwest, at the Battle of Pea Ridge. He commanded the 4th Division, Army of the Mississippi, at Corinth. He went on sick leave, but left his hospital bed to serve in the defenses of Cincinnati, Ohio. During this time of convalescence, on September 29, 1862, Davis got into an argument with his superior officer, Maj. Gen. William "Bull" Nelson, in the Galt House in Louisville, Kentucky. Davis had been offended by insults on prior occasions and when his face was slapped by Nelson, Davis shot and killed him. He was arrested and imprisoned, but Maj. Gen. Horatio G. Wright came to his aid and was able to get him released from prison. He avoided conviction for the murder because there was a need for experienced field commanders in the Union Army. Promotions and post war ]] Davis was a capable commander, but due to the murder of General Nelson, he never received a full promotion higher than brigadier general of volunteers. He did however receive a brevet promotion to major general of volunteers on August 8, 1864 (for his service at the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain), and was appointed commanding officer of the Fourteenth Corps during the Atlanta Campaign, which post he retained until the end of the war.William Tecumseh Sherman, Memoirs, The Library of America, 1990, pp. 574, 823. However, it should be noted that it was his actions during the Ebenezer Creek passing and his racist attitude towards freed slaves, that causes his legacy to be clouded in continued controversy. He received a brevet promotion to brigadier general in the regular army on March 20, 1865. After the Civil War, Davis continued service with the Army. He was the first commander of the Department of Alaska, from March 18, 1868, to June 1, 1870, during which he commanded the Russian population of Sitka, Alaska, to abandon their homes as he maintained that they were needed for Americans. He gained fame once again when he assumed field command of the U.S. forces during the Modoc War. His presence in the field restored the confidence of the soldiers after their recent setbacks against the ModocsReminiscences of a Pioneer. Davis' campaign resulted in the battle of Dry Lake and the eventual surrender of notable leaders such as Hooker Jim and Captain Jack. Davis died in Chicago, Illinois, and is buried in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Indiana. See also *List of American Civil War generals *Louisville in the American Civil War *''Sherman's March'' (2007, documentary) *John A. Wharton — CS General also murdered by a fellow officer References *Hughes, Nathaniel Cheairs, Jr. and Whitney, Gordon D. Jefferson Davis in Blue, Louisiana State University Press, 2002 ISBN 0807127779 *Eicher, John H., and Eicher, David J., Civil War High Commands, Stanford University Press, 2001, ISBN 0-8047-3641-3. * Levstik, Frank R., "Jefferson Columbus Davis", Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History, Heidler, David S., and Heidler, Jeanne T., eds., W. W. Norton & Company, 2000, ISBN 0-393-04758-X. Category:1828 births Category:1879 deaths Category:American military personnel of the Mexican–American War Category:American people of the Indian Wars Category:Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis Category:Clark County, Indiana Category:Louisville, Kentucky in the American Civil War Category:Modoc War Category:People of Indiana in the American Civil War Category:People of Kentucky in the American Civil War Category:Union Army generals Category:Commanders of the Department of Alaska Category:People from Indiana in the Mexican–American War da:Jefferson C. Davis fr:Jefferson Columbus Davis it:Jefferson Columbus Davis